ECOS Magazine - Towards A Sustainable Future

Skilling up for a low carbon future

A lack of appropriate skills and qualifications in the professions over the next decade may see Australian businesses forego significant opportunities in the global shift to sustainable development. What is the extent of the broader capacity building challenge facing our education sector, and how quickly will we need to respond?

Cheryl Desha Charlie Hargroves and Angie Reeve 20-Dec-2010

Synchrotron makes light work of waste Feature Imagine light one million times brighter than the Sun that can be precisely focused onto objects at the molecular level. What could you see with such a light? And, could you use it to help put industrial by-products to good use? Kath Kovac 12-Jun-2013

Grey areas in greening cities
Feature

How can we accommodate the extra 6 or 7 million people expected to populate our major cities by 2056 – while also reducing the carbon footprint of individual Australians? Is the answer to increase urban density? But is medium-to-high density development the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cities? And how can we protect biodiversity in a concrete jungle?

Jo Isaac 12-Jun-2013

It’s 2050 – time for a low-carbon cuppa
Feature

Next time you boil the kettle in your kitchen or office, have a think about this: over 90 per cent of the electricity used today is being generated by coal and gas. By 2050, when you do the same thing – make a cuppa – the electricity you use could be generated by over 20 energy sources and technologies. That's a big change.

Dr Luke Reedman 04-Jun-2013

What is ocean energy? Feature Renewable ocean energy harnesses the power of the oceans to produce electricity. This can be done in several ways, but the resources that have the most immediate potential in terms of energy production for Australia and globally are: Jenny Hayward and Chris Knight 03-Jun-2013

In the balance: WA’s disappearing black cockatoos
Feature

All three of Western Australia's black cockatoo species – Carnaby's, Baudin's and the forest red-tail – are listed as endangered under state and federal legislation. Moves are afoot on several levels to ensure the long-term survival of these birds, which face threats from habitat loss, declining food sources and climate change.

03-Jun-2013

More or less? Climate change explains ‘the ice conundrum’ Feature Arctic sea ice is disappearing at an unprecedented rate, reaching record lows in September 2012. Yet in Antarctica, the sea ice reached a record high in the same month. Is the expansion of Antarctic sea ice evidence against global warming, as some observers have suggested? Rachel Sullivan 28-May-2013

Can urban farms feed city and soul? Feature Green walls, rooftop vegetable gardens and balcony growing systems are capturing the imagination of city-dwellers everywhere. But is it time for a reality check on the viability of producing food in urban environments? Michele Sabto 27-May-2013

Carbon farming could restore Australia's southern coastal wetlands
Feature

Australia’s southern coastal wetlands are more diverse than most people realise. In a recent paper, Paul Boon suggests they provide valuable ecological services that exceed those of inland wetland ecosystems. But these wetlands face enormous pressures from urban development and climate change. Fifty per cent of coastal wetlands have been lost from the east coast of Australia.

Catherine Lovelock, Justine Bell and Kerrylee Rogers 20-May-2013

Satellite imagery helps track tree-cover and carbon Feature Technology developed by CSIRO that makes use of satellite data to provide the most detailed maps yet of changes to Australia's forest and land-cover is enabling more accurate measurements of the carbon emissions prevented through preserving forest or replanting cleared land. Michele Sabto 20-May-2013

Community-powered science to keep Aussie icons standing
Feature

Rolling fields dotted with sheep and majestic old gum trees form a quintessential part of the Australian landscape. These paddock trees perform a critical, under-appreciated role in improving farm viability and conserving biodiversity. Through the power of social media, a volunteer army of citizen scientists has been helping in the research effort to preserve these icons.

Kylie Williams 06-May-2013